Lower Pottsgrove man buys state prison time for selling crack cocaine in Pottstown

COURTHOUSE — A 25-year-old Lower Pottsgrove man has bought himself a state prison sentence for plying his crack cocaine trade in the borough.

Robert Lee “Dubbs” Gaines Jr., of the 2100 block of Buchert Road, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to two-to-four years in a state correctional facility after he pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with intent to deliver cocaine in connection with incidents that occurred in December 2011 and May 2012.

President Judge William J. Furber Jr. said Gaines is eligible for the state Department of Corrections’ Recidivism Risk Reduction Incentive program, commonly referred to as “Triple R-I,” which allows non-violent offenders to receive reductions of their minimum state prison sentences if they successfully complete all required treatment and counseling and maintain good-conduct records in prison. Prisoners can be released upon completing the program only if officials are satisfied that the offenders pose no risks to public safety.

Under the program, if Gaines satisfies all requirements, he could be paroled after serving 18 months of his minimum two-year sentence.

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Pottstown police opened an investigation of Gaines, and his alleged drug activity in the borough, in December 2011, according to a criminal complaint. During the course of the investigation authorities conducted two “controlled drug buys” involving Gaines, police alleged.

On Dec. 27, 2011, Gaines met with a police informant in the 200 block of East High Street and delivered an amount of crack cocaine to the informant in exchange for cash, according to the arrest affidavit.

On May 3, 2012, Gaines met with an informant in the 300 block of Walnut Street and possessed and delivered an amount of crack cocaine in exchange for an undisclosed amount of cash, court papers alleged.

“At the completion of each controlled buy, field tests were completed. Each time the field test was positive for the presence of cocaine,” police alleged in the arrest affidavit. “Both of these controlled buys were captured on video surveillance.”